Forgotten
by Aquila028
Summary: Michael Schmidt, a twenty-one year old college student is led back to Freddy's by a presence he thinks is his little brother who had disappeared there twelve years ago. It doesn't take long before Mike realizes that Freddy's is not the same pizzeria he knew as a child. Determined, Mike delves into the mysteries of the pizzeria that brought him so much joy as a child.
1. Prologue

**Hey Guys, I'm not a fan of long Author's notes so I'll keep this short. Just wanted to say, I don't own any of FNAF, and this story will not be following the canon. Too complicated and too depressing.**

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" _Crap, crap, crap…" he muttered to himself as he stared down at the unmoving night guard on the floor. He returned his attention to the four menacing figures in front of him, their faces displaying a mix of shock, fear, and anger. Tightening his grip on his electric weapon, he held his defensive stance waiting for one of the four robots to make a move. How had it come to this?_

" **Mike… it's me, it's me. Please… come back, it's me…"**

Blinking awake, Mike Schmidt, a twenty-one year old college student with messy brown hair, stared groggily into the wooden bed frame above him. ' _Another nightmare…'_ The light footsteps he heard told him his roommate was already up and probably preparing for the first day of summer holidays. Groaning and moving his pillow onto his face, Mike began to drift back asleep, just a few more minutes...

"Idiot, wake up."

Removing the pillow from his face, Mike stared up at the figure standing above him. Matt, his long brown-haired roommate and best friend stared down at Mike impatiently. "C'mon, idiot, it's already eleven, and you haven't even gotten up."

After a few rinses of cold water to the face, Mike stared up at his reflection. Baggy eyes and a bedhead, damn he was a mess. Ever since those nightmares started a few weeks ago, Mike had been getting even less sleep than usual. Each of them was always the same, an eerie voice calling out to him for help and to come back, but he had no idea what they meant. At first he'd thought the weekly college all-nighters had finally gotten to him, but the frightening dreams persisted. The voice seemed so familiar, and yet he still couldn't place it. Realizing he was getting sidetracked, he quickly finished up before running out after Matt, who had already left without him.

Lunch was good, and it was great to finally see some of his friends who had been as swamped as him from the school year. Mike silently listened into their small talk.

"Did you you guys hear? There was another murder at that creepy pizzeria."

"Oh gods, not another one, who was it this time?

"Another night guard..."

"At Freddy's? Wasn't he just missing?"

"Oh c'mon, we all know that night guard's dead. People don't just go missing, Matt."

Mike decided to remain silent and tune out; he wasn't a fan of talk about Freddy's. After the group parted, Matt and Mike began heading back to their apartment for some much needed time to rest after exams.

"So, you staying in engineering next year?" asked Matt, as they strolled around the mall.

"Dunno, not been going well, and I don't think college's really for me. I think the all-nighters are starting to get to me too. I might just take a year off… I'm gonna stay with my parents for the summer anyways."

"Just come back and visit if you do, hey?"

Back home, Mike had finished the rest of his packing and opened up his laptop. The conversation from earlier was peaking his curiosity. Giving in, he hopped onto the news, scrolling through the mostly unexciting stories until he found it. _Pizzeria Under Investigation of Missing Persons._ Another missing night guard. As he read through the article, memories of the pizzeria began resurfacing.

Back when he was young, he lived awfully close to that local pizzeria, Freddy's, and he _loved_ it there. He'd probably visited every second week at least, always glad to see the always smiling faces of the four animatronics there. At the time, he'd thought they were sentient, actual people who cared and loved him, but Mike had long dismissed that as nostalgia twisting his childish memories. He loved the place, till that one unfortunate day that sparked the never-ending controversy surrounding the franchise. As much as Mike had tried to suppress it, he remembered that day all too well: the day his little brother, Mark, went missing at the pizzeria.

 _November 12th, 1985, the day before his little brother's birthday, Mike had snuck out of class early to visit the pizzeria, only being fifteen minutes away. He knew he'd get yelled at for skipping, but he needed to make sure his brother's first birthday at Freddy's would be extra special. Jogging through the streets, he saw the small, yet bright building in the distance. Bolting in through Freddy's glass doors, 9 year-old Michael Schmidt impatiently looked around the near empty restaurant for his favourite animatronic. Spotting him near the stage holding his guitar, he dashed over to say hi. Noticing the boy, the bunny's smile widened as he set down his guitar to pick up the child._

" _Bonnie! Bonnie! Hi!"_

" _You're here early Mikey, hehe!" responded Bonnie, as he lifted Mike up and into his arms._

"Yeah _, I needed to come early! My little brother's birthday is tomorrow and I need to make sure it's the BEST birthday EVER!"_

" _Of course it will be, little Michael," responded another approaching animatronic. Mike turned his gaze over to the large brown bear walking towards them. Smiling, Freddy assured, "Leave your brother's birthday to us, we'll be sure it's the best in the world."_

" _Promise?"_

" _Promise."_

 _As Mike led his little brother through the doors of Freddy's the next day, it was obvious the small golden haired birthday boy was afraid. Despite Mike's constant tales of excitement about the place, the little boy still shivered._

 _"Don't worry, everyone here is really nice! You'll love it," assured Mike, sensing Mark's anxiety._

 _The day started wonderfully. Mike's little brother had met Freddy first, and though he was afraid, he eventually opened up to big bear. The animatronic bear carried the small boy around, introducing him to the gang. Eventually, as other children arrived, Mike and his brother split from the animatronics as they prepared for the show._

 _Children were screaming, excited to see the giant curtain on the stage open. Taking their positions, the four animatronics began their usual routine. As the large red curtains folded open, Freddy stepped forward, "Are you ready for Freddy?" The piercing screams of children replied, but Mike's brother stayed silent. After a few songs, Freddy called out, "Now for our next song, we'll be needing a little help from our special birthday boy!" The children all turned to look at the small golden haired boy who sat shaking._

" _C'mon, go up!" Mike nudged._

" _N-no I can't… I-I'm scared..."_

" _Afraid?" Freddy replied, "that's Ok! Perhaps you'd like your brother to come up with you?"_

 _Hesitating, the small boy nodded. Holding hands, the two climbed up the stage. "Alright, gang, are we ready to show Mark how we do things at Freddy's?" Nodding at the cue, the gang started their song._

 _Slowly, Mark's chattering teeth and anxious look faded away into excitement as he listened to the song, clutching his brother's hand. As the chorus came, all the children joined in, including Mike. Finally, the song faded away, and applause erupted, slightly startling the small boy, but eventually his smile took over. "I hope this never ends," whispered the small boy._

 _As the show came to an end, the two brother's left the stage and split into their groups of friends to hang around until the cake arrived. Through all the excitement, everybody failed to notice the dark figure enter the building._

 _The rest of the party was nothing but a blur to Mike. The day was full of excitement; a large birthday cake carried out by Chica, the tales of thrilling adventures by Foxy, and the soft music of Bonnie's guitar accompanied by Freddy's singing wore the day away. As the last of the children left, there was only Mike's family left. After hugging goodbye to Bonnie and promising to come back soon, Mike searched around for his brother. Noticing a man heading to the entrance, Mike wondered who he was. He didn't remember seeing him during the party. As he walked over, the man noticed him, and make a quickened his pace to the entrance, exiting the glass doors before Mike could say a word. "He's weird," Mike thought as he headed back to his parents._

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Mike stared forward at the computer screen. As he closed down his laptop, he thought back to that tragic day. He was certain that man was to blame, and yet he couldn't bear to think about it. There were no more tears; Mike had shed far too many already, and all that was left was a dull aching feeling. For a second, Mike stiffened at a strange presence, and glanced behind is back. Seeing nothing, he began to relax.

" **It's me… Mike… please. Come back,"**

Mike shuddered. He could've sworn he just heard…

" **Can't you hear me Mike…? It's me..."**

Suddenly the realization began to dawn on him. That voice, it was him...

" **It's me…"**

"Mark!"

He felt the presence fading, but he was certain he knew who it was. The voice that haunted him for weeks, the voice that had an eerie pitch to it: it was his brother's. Though it was distorted, he was convinced it was Mark. He called out, but all he met was silence. Scratching his head, Mike began to think maybe he was going crazy. PTSD or something.

 **"It's me... come back. Please, help me..."**

As the voice faded away, Mike felt the presence completely disappear, and assumed the strange voice was gone. Was that really his brother calling to him for help? Mike wasn't quite sure, but he knew he needed to do something, but where did he have to go to help him? Mike lay on his bed to think. Perhaps his brother's ghost was trapped somewhere? Maybe the pizzeria? Squeezing his head, he realized how crazy it all sounded. Imaginary voices? Haunted Pizzerias? Maybe he'd finally snapped. Crazy or not, Mike knew one thing. He was damn well gonna figure this out.

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 **So, first time writing fanfiction, hope it turned out alright. I'd love to hear what you guys think in reviews. So anyways, thanks for reading and expect a new chapter soon! I'm looking forward to completing this story.  
**


	2. Chapter 1 - Not the same Freddy's

In the few days it took him to move back into his parents' home, his brother's voice had gone silent. Still determined, however, Mike had signed up for the night guard, despite all the recent… history surrounding them. It was almost comedic how fast Mike got a response from Freddy's; he was told to meet the manager during the day. Standing outside the familiar glass doors, Mike began to worry. ' _What the heck am I getting myself into...?'_ he thought, as he cleared away any second thoughts and stepped inside the building.

Though Mike wasn't expecting the place to be deserted, he certainly wasn't expecting to see dozens of kids filling the pizzeria. With all the controversy surrounding the place, Mike found it hard to believe that so many parents still brought their kids here. Strolling further into the dining hall, he noticed a few familiar faces up on the stage performing the last bit of their show, and Mike's memories began to stir.

 _Seven year old Mike had never been to Freddy's before, but from the stories of his friends, the place was magical. Curious, yet scared, Mike held onto his mother's back as the entered the building. The room was bright and lively, despite there only being a few kids around. Mike's mother greeted a few staff members as they wandered into the dining hall. A large animatronic approached them, causing Mike to get anxious.  
_

 _"Hiya there, little guy, what's your name?" asked the purple bunny. Mike, turning and hiding his face into his mother's stomach, remained silent. Bonnie kept his smile, giggling at the shyness of the child._

 _"Hehe, well I'll be around if you change your mind and wanna be friends, mkay? I think you're super cute,"_

 _As Bonnie turned and began to leave, Mike revealing his face, whispered, "W-wait… don't go…" Stopping and turning back towards Mike, Bonnie smiled and slowly walked back. "My name's Mike... but my mom calls me Mikey," Giggling at the cute nickname, Bonnie offered to carry him. Accepting, Mike climbed into Bonnie's arms, hugging the animatronic's soft fur. Mike's mother, smiling at the adorable act, snapped a picture to give to Mike later._

 _"Hey, you wanna meet my friends, Mikey?"_

 _"I-I don't know, I'm scared..."_

 _"Hehe, don't worry, they're not scary, and I'll be with you!" Nodding slightly, the two new friends headed deeper into the pizzeria._

Smiling to himself at the nostalgia, Mike focused back on reality. As Mike continued watching the show, he noticed something a bit off. Though Foxy was quite obviously missing from the usual crew, Mike assumed he was just sitting out from the show today. However, the movements of the three animatronics looked stiff and felt much more robotic than he remembered, with their voices more artificial. Dismissing it as nostalgia messing with his memory, he wandered around until he found the manager's office, not noticing Bonnie's eyes following him.

The office was cramped, but organized, with neat stacks of paper covering different desks and cabinets. Typing away was a pale blond woman with a very defined face. Noticing Mike, she turned and smiled.

"Hello there, can I help you?"

"Oh, um yeah. I'm here for the night guard job?"

"Ah, Mr. Schmidt, yes? Come, take seat," Nodding, Mike sat down on the red cushioned chair, twiddling his thumbs. "Hm, yes, here's the waiver, sign this, and you're all done."

Surprised, Mike quickly asked, "Um, what? There's no interview or anything?"

"Ah, well, we've been awfully short on staff due to a certain few... _incidents_. And thus, we've had to ease our hiring system quite," Mike, creeped out by her tone, decided to turn his attention to the form in front of him. Skimming through the thing, he found it odd that he wasn't allowed "under any circumstances to disclose anything he saw during his shift". Ignoring the quirk, he signed it and passed it back, still grateful he got the job so easily.

"Ah yes, good,' the woman responded, handing over a key, "that will be all Mr. Schmidt. I expect you to be here twenty minutes early to prepare for the night. I'll be seeing you."

"Oh, um by the way, may I ask something?"

"Make it quick, Mr. Schmidt."

"O-Ok, um, is Foxy still in the show? I didn't see him earlier and.."

Mike noticed her face scowl, before interrupting in a grim tone, "I'll be _seeing_ you Mr. Schmidt. Asking questions won't get you anywhere here."

Thoroughly shaken, Mike realized he wasn't getting any answers from the woman. Exiting the office, he glanced over at the stage again to see that the show had already ended. However, Mike noticed the animatronics standing still, being hauled off to the backstage by an employee. _'Strange, don't they usually wander around after the show?'_ Approaching the man carting Bonnie off, Mike decided to ask.

"Roaming around?" the man replied, "You must be mistaken. These things haven't roamed around after the show for about a decade now."

Puzzled, Mike persisted, "Wait, what? Why? What happened?"

"Tch, how am I supposed to know? And even if I did, management wouldn't let me say a thing. I wouldn't be so damn curious if I were you." Ignoring Mike, the employee continued carting off the bunny animatronic. Mike left the building doubtful, not noticing the bunny's eyes following him. He had a lot of questions, and obviously, nobody was going to answer them for him.

Silently in the darkness, the purple bunny animatronic thought about that face. Something about it seemed so familiar, and yet, so distant. Unmoving, Bonnie dismissed the thought and watched as his two friends were carted in.

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As Mike approached the pizzeria once again, the words of his fellow employees ran through his mind. It was painfully obvious that something shady was about, and the thought made him anxious. The building looked far creepier in the dark, and he imagined the inside wouldn't be much better. Unlocking the doors and stepping inside, he was right. The restaurant wasn't pitch black, but it certainly wasn't welcoming either.

Being told to arrive early, Mike was expecting some sort of mentor, a past night guard or something to show him the ropes, but after ten minutes of waiting, he gave up. Curious, he wandered over to the backstage to find it locked, with his key not fitting. Stepping away, he wandered around until he found the security office down a long hall. The room was small and cluttered and had two entrances, both with two huge buttons situated on the wall nearby. Sitting down and checking the tablet on the desk, he figured out the basics of the cameras pretty quickly. Just as fast, however, Mike noticed a few very strange details with the setup.

The limited power supply seemed strange, but he assumed it wouldn't matter much. However, after scanning the cameras, he noticed Foxy was still noticeably missing. As midnight struck, he jumped when a voice recording began playing.

 _"Hello? Hello, hello! I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night…"_

Realizing this was probably his training, he paid close attention. The message felt perfectly normal for the first little while, but the tone changed quite drastically,

 _"Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering damage or death have occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days…"_

Damage or death? Confused, yet curious, Mike listened on.

 _"Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night…So, just be aware the characters do tend to wander a bit…"_

Wander a bit? Didn't that employee tell him earlier that they _couldn't_ wander anymore? Head full of questions, Mike snapped out of trance when he heard the unmistakable sound of a metal step. Panicking, he quickly checked the cameras to find that Bonnie was gone. Gone. Desperately tapping on all the cameras to find the bunny, he half-listened to the rest of the message, which only got worse. The Bite of '87? Frontal Lobes? Forcefully stuffed inside a suit? Distracted by the moving animatronics, Mike didn't fully take in the last part of the message. Spotting the bunny staring into the camera in the dining hall, Mike shuddered. Realizing the danger he was in, he forgot about his questions for now, and focused on staying alive. It was going to be a long night.

Watching the camera and staying still, Bonnie waited silently for the red light to flash off signifying the guard had moved on to a different camera. Another night guard endoskeleton without their suit on, the usual. As the light eventually flickered off, the bunny creeped into the left hall. Bonnie noticed the camera's light was still dim. "This endo's easy, it's only night 1!" he giggled to himself. Silently stepping further down the hall, the camera's remained inactive. Smiling in anticipation, he approached the door and noticed the endo inside, shivering. Preparing to leap, Bonnie hesitated. Something was off about this one. The familiar feeling he felt earlier today had come back. Pausing longer than normal, the guard turned, noticing the bunny. Screaming and slamming the door down, Bonnie realized he had missed his opportunity. Wandering off, he felt the thought still tugging at him, " _Who was that?_ "

Breathing heavily, Mike sat back for a second. Seeing Bonnie right at the door had made him realize the reality of it all. He could die tonight. The thought scared him, and all the nostalgic joy of the place was fading fast. Suddenly, he hear metallic footsteps walking away from him, telling him that the animatronic bunny had left. Turning his attention back to the tablet, he swept through the cameras finding all three animatronics a safe distance away from him. Tapping on each camera again, he noticed someone peeking behind a curtain in Pirate's Cove. Foxy. Part of Mike felt relieved to finally find the animatronic fox, but the other part of him felt much the opposite seeing as he now had a fourth animatronic to deal with.

Through some sort of miracle, six AM arrived, and the animatronics had returned to their places. The night wasn't quite as bad as he anticipated, as Freddy and Foxy hadn't attacked, and Bonnie had become less aggressive after their first encounter. Mike, still breathing heavily, realized that he was safe. Clearing his mind, Mike realized just how much danger he was putting himself in He considered whether or not he should return; as determined as Mike was to solve the mysteries behind his nightmares, he wasn't sure he was ready to lay down his life for it. After all, he didn't even know if the mysterious voice was real or just his brain punishing him for a year of all-nighters. As if on cue, Mike felt the curious presence return.

 **"You… you came back… Don't leave, it's me…"**

Not wanting to leave without answers, Mike quickly shouted back, "M-Mark? Is that you? Please, what do you need? H-how can I help?"

 **"Please, don't leave… _help them_ … _save them_ …"**

The voice trailed off once again, and Mike felt the strange presence disappear. Growing tired of the vague hints, Mike decided to head home and decide then. Crossing through the dining hall, he noticed the backstage door was unlocked and open. Though every almost every bit of his mind told him to get away, he felt his morbid curiosity winning over. Slowly walking over, he pulled the door, and peeked inside. It was dark, but Mike could make out something that unsettled him. The eyes of the three animatronics were locked straight onto him. Though they remained still, the glares of the three robots sent a chill down his spine. Quickly backing out and slamming the door shut, Mike left the restaurant, regretting his curiosity.

As the darkness filled the room, the eyes of the three robots shifted back to their normal position. Though Freddy and Chica thought little of the endoskeleton peeking in, Bonnie's conflicted mind worsened. The odd feeling of familiarity only strengthened, as the bunny searched his mind for an answer.

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 **Alright, so I worked on pumping out an actual chapter of the story since all I really uploaded was a prologue, so I hope it still turned out alright! Again, I'd be delighted to hear what you all have to say in reviews, if you want!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Anger

Mike was shaking on his drive home. His mind was cluttered with what had happened last night and almost rear ended another car in distraction. Doing his best to clear his mind, he focused back onto the road. He could worry all he wanted once he returned home.

Though the drive was far from smooth, he made it back to his parents' house safely. Entering, he went straight to his room, ignoring his parents who had greeted him. They stared at each other, worried and confused at their son's sudden coldness, but decided to leave him be for the time being. Locking the door, Mike slammed his head into his pillow, overwhelmed. In one night he had been led on by the ghostly voice of his dead brother and almost killed by the animatronic suits that were his childhood friends. He barely believed that any of it actually happened. Scared and confused, Mike laid still as he wondered whether he should return or not.

The sudden knock on his door made him jump.

"Mikey? Are you ok?" His mother's voice was calm and soothing. Wanting to open the door and spill out everything, Mike realized that he couldn't. The contract he signed wouldn't let him, and the last thing he needed, as a broke college student, was a lawsuit against him. And yet, Mike felt he'd go insane if he kept it all bottled up.

"Mikey? Do you need to talk?"

Not wanting to concern his mother and doubting she would even believe his story, he replied in his most steady voice, "No… it's ok. I'm just not used to being up all night. I just need some sleep… thanks."

Mike's mother, not believing a word of it, decided he would come to her for help if he needed it. "Alright, dear, I'll be here if you need me," she said softly as she left. Mike jumped at the light footsteps, instinctively slamming his hand against the wall. Recoiling in pain, Mike laid his head back down on his bed and drifted off into sleep.

His dreams were surprisingly pleasant and devoid of the creepy voice that had haunted him nights before. Instead, he gazed from the eyes of himself as a child at Freddy's. He was riding atop Bonnie's shoulder, feeling the light bounce of the bunny's footsteps. He gazed around him, and the restaurant was warm and welcome, unlike the nightmarish building of today. Mike felt safe in the bunny's arms as they wandered the pizzeria, seeing the familiar and cheerful faces of the other three animatronics. As the scene became enveloped in a mysterious light, Mike heard a suspicious ringing and the pizzeria faded away.

Blinking his eyes awake, Mike was met with bright sunlight shining onto his face and a loud annoying alarm noise from his phone. Groggily sitting up, he noticed it was late into the afternoon. Grateful for the lack of nightmares, Mike felt refreshed and his mind far more calm. His stomach growled and he slowly strolled downstairs. His parents were at the table and glanced over at him, but remained silent.

"Uh, hey," Mike said awkwardly.

"Afternoon, Michael, you seem to be feeling better," his father responded cheerfully.

"Ah, yeah… Sorry about last night. Was really tired…" Mike trailed off, "I'm pretty hungry though."

As Mike ate, his parents had made a bit of small talk, mainly about how college was going. He noticed they avoided the topic of his night guard job, and Mike gladly accepted their distance. As he finished up and went to sit in the living room, he realized he'd have to decide whether or not he would continue.

He sat down on the squishy sofa, relaxing. After shutting his eyes for a short while, he noticed a photo album on the table in front of him. Picking it up and flipping through, he found countless photos of him and his brother wearing toothy grins.

 _The bright colourful lights of the carnival illuminated the darkness of the night. The two brothers, Mike and Mark, held hands as they explored the wonderous place. Their parents trailing shortly behind, the two brothers ran around drinking in all the sights of their first carnival. As the hours passed, carnival games were played, cotton candy was eaten, and memories were made._

" _Mom, dad, can me and Mark go on the roller coaster? Pleeeasee!" Mark nodded his head in agreement and the two boys stared at their parents. Approving, the family walked over to a small roller dragon-themed roller coaster for young kids. The two boys impatiently waited in line, as they watched riders before them dart around in the carts at an incredible speed. When their turn finally came, Mike excitedly hopped into the cart, but Mark stood outside shaking. Mike, noticing his brother's nervousness, quickly spoke up._

" _It's ok, Mark! You don' need to be scared,"_

 _Shaking his head, Mark stood still, "B-but..."_

" _C'mon, I'll be here with you. You can hold onto my arm if ya want!" Slowly approaching the cart, Mark entered in, squeezing his brother's arm tightly. Mike's mother, seeing the adorable sight, snapped a picture, immortalizing the memory before the two brothers bounded off together._

As Mike's memory faded away, he continued flipping through the book. As he turned to the last page, he noticed the last photo. It was of him and Bonnie first meeting. Smiling at the fond memory, he took out the photo and tucked it away in his wallet before closing the book. Despite what had happened last night, Mike realized all that was at stake. Not only did he refuse to leave his brother alone, but he didn't want the place of his childhood to be left on such a sour note. He had decided.

Mike approached the old pizzeria again, pushing away his fear. He was prepared this time. As he entered, he noticed the backstage was locked again. " _That's probably going to change soon"_

He entered his cramped security office again. His tablet was off, and he decided not to check the cameras yet do save power. Noticing the phone had a message, he played it early.

" _Uhh, hello, hello? Uh, well if you're hearing this and you made it to day two, uh congrats!"_

The voice felt a bit condescending, but Mike listened on. The message was far shorter and less creepy, but Mike already knew everything the phone guy had said. As the message ended, he noticed midnight was a minute away. " _Alright you damn animatronics, bring it on."_

The night surprisingly progressed very smoothly with infrequent attacks from Chica being the only threat. Bonnie had noticeably stayed in the backstage while the other two had left. Foxy had remained in his curtain for a while, but Mike caught him peeking out quite significantly. Mike relaxed a bit as he scrolled through the cameras again. Suddenly, as he checked the backstage, he noticed Bonnie had abruptly left. Still calm, Mike cycled through the cameras. He quickly dove into panic as he scrolled through every single one and hadn't spotted the bunny.

"You." Mike jumped and turned his head up from the tablet and saw the large purple animatronic staring down at him.

"AAHHH!" he screamed as he fell backwards and off his chair. His wallet fell out his pocket and sprawled onto the floor. Shaking, Mike stared up at the animatronic. How had he gotten in here so fast?

"Who are you?" the bunny asked.

"U-Um.. w-what?"

"I said, who _are_ you?"

"U-uhh..." Mike stuttered as the bunny glared at him. His eyes were serious, and yet they didn't seem threatening.

"You… something about you. There's something…" Bonnie muttered.

"Umm, Bonnie, it's me… Mike," he responded flatly. Bonnie's eyes shifted for second from their piercing gaze, and for a second, Mike felt himself calm. Soon after, though, Bonnie's eyes turned to a more menacing stare.

"No, you… you're _not_ Mike. I don't know how you know about him, but you... you dare pretend to be him!" Mike, now fearing for his life, felt his head spin.

" _No… not now, don't faint Mike…"_ It was too late, though, as Mike fell unconscious. Bonnie, seeing the unmoving body, stared forward.

He thought about the guard's words. Was he really little Mikey? No, that was impossible. This… _thing_ couldn't be. It was just an endo, like Freddy said. Walking over to grab the limp endoskeleton, Bonnie noticed a photo on the ground. Picking it up, the feeling of familiarity came back. In the photo was him and little Mikey, who was hugging his shoulder. Staring at the face of the little boy, he glanced back at the fallen night guard. Though they looked very different, their faces were unmistakably the same. Bonnie dropped the photo, finally seeing his little Mikey on the floor.

As Mike slowly woke up he grasped his aching head. Grabbing at the memories of what happened, Mike stared at his surroundings. He was sitting down in the dining hall… " _Wait, what? The dining hall?!"_

"Heya, Mike! You're awake,"

Quickly turning his head to the voice, Mike saw Bonnie walking towards him. Screaming, Mike bounced up and ran in the opposite direction, bumping into another animatronic.

"Now where do you think you are going, then?" Mike recognizes the deep baritone voice, and looked up to see the large brown bear staring down at him. The bear's pupils were small giving the bear a frightening look. "You should be thankful Bonnie got to you first, if it were up to me, you'd be _**dead**_ right now." Backing away, Mike began to panic. Why was Freddy being so aggressive? Mike never remembered the calm bear acting like this before. Nothing was making sense, and his head began to spin again. He clutched it hard, not wanting to faint again.

"Freddy! You're scaring the poor guy!" scolded Chica as she walked into Mike's vision. Overwhelmed, Mike fell backwards and felt himself being caught by a pair of fuzzy arms.

"Mikey… don't panic. We don't want to hurt you, promise." Bonnie lifted the man up, and Mike recoiled slightly in surprise, but with his head aching, he didn't struggle. As Bonnie slumped the man over his shoulder, the bunny began swaying his arms back and forth gently. Mike's memories stirred, and oddly he began to feel soothed and his headache vanished.

Eventually realizing he was being coddled like a child, Mike quickly asked, "U-Uh, Bonnie, can you put me down?" Complying, the bunny set him down softly, and Mike stared in awkward silence. Though he was still fearful of his life, Bonnie and Chica were staring down at him in concern. Freddy still gave an intimidating glare, however, which unsettled the man. "S-so, you're not going to try to stuff me into a suit?"

"What? Of course not! Why would we stuff a human in a suit, silly?" responded Chica. "I'm glad Bonnie here realized you were human, I can't imagine what would've happened if we caught you first," Though the chicken's voice was chirpy, Mike still shuddered at her words, knowing very well what would've happened to him if he was caught. "Hey Mikey, you're probably hungry after all this; I'm really good at making human food! Do you want anything?'

"U-uhh, no, it's alr-"

"Yeah! That's a great idea," Bonnie interrupted, "Mikey's probably really hungry! I remember he used to love cheese pizza!"

"Alright, then, one cheese pizza coming up!" Chica walked off before Mike could reply leaving him with Bonnie and Freddy. Though Bonnie seemed as nice as he remembered, Freddy was acting awfully cold and it made Mike anxious.

"You look like you're still scared… Sorry, are ya still mad?" Bonnie asked, concerned.

"O-Oh umm… it's not that. It's just, it's weird talking to you guys after so long..."

"Hehe, well I'm still me! And we're still friends, right?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

Mike was having trouble taking everything in. Every part of his logical mind told him sentient animatronics shouldn't _ever_ exist. And yet, Bonnie was right there just sitting around having a casual conversation with him, just like when he was a child. Realizing the ghostly voice of his dead brother wasn't any more believable, he gave up trying to make sense of anything.

"Hehe, I found this photo on the ground after you fainted," Bonnie handed the photo back, and Mike smiled softly at the cute scene. "It's how I could tell it was you… I dunno why it took me so long to realize,"

"It's alright, I'd be dead right now if it weren't for you," Mike responded. Bonnie tilted his head, confused, and Mike realized the animatronics were still oblivious to the countless guards they'd killed. Mike shuddered at the thought of the backstage suits.

Before he could explain, Bonnie continued, "So Mikey… why'd you leave for so long? I missed you when you were gone… weren't we friends?" Though Bonnie's voice was still upbeat and cheerful, Mike could tell that under the words, Bonnie felt hurt.

"Y-yeah, you were my best friend! It's just, it's complicated… I never thought I would return after what happened to be honest,"

"Then why did you come back?" This time, the voice came from Freddy, who had been eavesdropping. Mike glanced over, noticing the bear's pupils had grown smaller. "You _**left**_ us all for so long, so you obviously **_don't care_** much! Why bother coming back?" Mike shivered, noticing Freddy's voice felt a little off, and much more sinister.

"Freddy! Stop being so mean to him, you haven't even let him explain!" Bonnie retaliated. Freddy stopped, but still stared at Mike, expecting an answer.

"Well, it's related to why I left in the first place-"

"Yes, you **_left_** us all. You **_hurt_** my friends when you left... they've never been the same, no matter what I do. It's **_your fault_** that they're all suffering and I will _**never forgive you.**_ " Freddy's pupils were almost nonexistent, and Mike saw only white dots in the void of Freddy's eyes. His voice was full of rage and emotion, very unlike the bear he used to know.

"Freddy! That's enough! This isn't like you at all! What's gotten into you?" Chica shouted from across the room, overhearing the bear's yelling.

Mike blinked. His eyes focused on Freddy's menacing black eyes. The bear's mouth didn't move, and yet Mike heard a voice.

 _ **"You... YOU, it's YOUR fault... I can't do anything... because of YOU,"**_ The voice had the same ghostly tone of his brother's, and yet, Mike could tell the voice belonged to Freddy. As he stared into the bear's eyes, hypnotized, Bonnie looked over, saying something Mike couldn't make out. Suddenly, Mike felt his head welling up with pain and blurring up. His vision was growing dark and he grabbed his head. He felt himself fall over into the grasp of fuzzy arms as his eyes shut.

Mike opened his eyes soon after, seeing nothing but blackness surrounding him. He felt an eerie presence around him, similar to that of his brother's, yet very different. This presence felt frustrated, _angry_. "H-hello?" Mike asked into the void.

 _ **"You... you hurt them all! I failed... I failed as a leader... because of YOU!"**_

Mike was caught off guard. The voice had come from every direction giving it a strange echo. He looked around, but saw nothing.

 ** _"Well?" the voice asked, "What's your reason... why bother coming back to us? I doubt you even have one,"_**

"There was this voice!" Mike argued back, "And I was following it and-"

 _ **"Lies... all lies... It's your fault! YOUR FAULT!"**_

Mike, shocked, shut his mouth for a second. This presence was unmistakably Freddy. Why was the bear so angry with him, though? Had he really hurt them so much to merit the bear's wrath? Mike closed his eyes for a second to think. He realized Freddy was beyond reason at this point, blinded by anger.

Freddy's words, however, were getting to the poor night guard. Maybe it _was_ his fault. Maybe he had no reason, no _right_ to come back to those he'd hurt so much.

 **"Mike...? You can help them... save them..."**

He heard his brother's voice, and yet Mike brushed it off, overwhelmed by the guilt from his thoughts.

 **"Please... Mike. Help them... save them..."**

Mike's head began to spin again, as a memory flowed into his head.

 _Mark was crying as Mike stared down at him. "I-I'm sorry..." Mark sobbed._

 _"I can't believe you lost my Bonnie plush... He was my favourite, and YOU lost him!" Mark remained silent, and Mike could feel his anger welling up, wanting to burst. It was his brother's fault, all his fault..._

 _"Y-yeah... I lost him," his brother responded, "it's all my fault, and I'm sorry..." Mike's rage hesitated at his brother's words, "I-I can't do anything to change what happened, but... I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Mike... please forgive me." Mike stared down at his brother, only now noticing his tears. A feeling of guilt washed over the little Michael, realizing his brother didn't deserve this._

 _Immediately feeling guilty at his rage, Mike leaned down, and whispered, "I'm sorry too, Mark..."_

 _"Why? I lost Bonnie! I-It's my fault, like you said!"_

 _"No... it's not all your fault. Everyone makes mistakes, and it was a mistake for me to yell at you like that... will you forgive me?" Mark stared up at his brother through teary eyes and slowly nodded his head._

As Mike felt the memory disappear, his mind cleared of his uncontrollable guilt and self loathing. Like him that day, Freddy had lost his true self in his blind rage. Mike knew he was the cause of it, but rather than moping in sorrow, he wanted to fix it.

"Freddy!" The voice remained silent, but he could feel the presence getting angrier each second.

"I'm sorry, Freddy!"

 _ **"Sorry? Sorry?! Is that it? Is that all you can offer, all you can do, after all you've done!"**_

"Yes... it is. I'm sorry, Freddy. I left you all, I hurt you all, and it's nothing but my fault there. All I can do, is ask for your forgiveness, and make things right."

 ** _"No... it's your fault... YOUR fault..."_**

"Freddy, it's no use for either of us to just get caught in our emotions, pitying ourselves for what happened. I know who you are, Freddy. This isn't like you. Please, help me make things right. Help me fix my mistakes..." The voice remained silent for a second, but Mike noticed the presence's emotions were dying down.

 _ **"Why...**_ why should _ **I..."**_

"I don't have a reason why. I'm sorry, because it was me that caused all this. And if you want to turn your back on me, I wouldn't hold it against you. All I ask, though, is that you can find it in yourself to forgive me," Silence filled the void, as Mike awaited an answer.

"Haha..." Freddy responded, while a dark silhouette of the bear formed in front of Mike's eyes, "you've really grown since I've last seen you, huh? I don't know what got into me... perhaps I'm not fit to be leader..."

"Freddy, everyone makes mistakes. All we can do is fix them, and not make them again. So Freddy, will you help me?" Mike extended his arm out to the bear.

"Of course little Mikey," As their two hands reached towards each other, Mike felt the void crumbling away. When their two palms touched, Mike felt a huge pressure in his head. His vision became enveloped in light and when it faded, he found himself staring into Freddy's concerned face.

"You alright, there, little Mikey?"

Blinking, Mike's head felt fuzzy with what just happened. "Freddy...?"

"I'm sorry, little Mikey. I haven't the vaguest idea what happened to us there. But I'm glad you're alright."

 **"You saved him... thank you,"**

He felt his brother's presence once again, and yet, it felt different. Though his brother's voice was still distorted, the anger in it had disappeared. Feeling like he had made progress, Mike smiled in relief, closing his eyes and relaxing back into Bonnie's arms as the aroma of cheese pizza filled the pizzeria.

* * *

 **Wow, this chapter was intense to write. So, anyone got the parallel of the black eyes with a lone white dot in the center? Things only pick up emotionally from here, if you're into that. Well, I hope it's alright and as usual I'd love to hear your feedback in reviews!**


	4. Chapter 3 - The Bite

Chica's warm pizza was amazing, far better than Mike remembered, and after the whole endeavor with Freddy, a warm meal was all the more welcome. As he sat eating, he noticed that Chica stared at him in concern, turning her head away when they made eye contact. The bird looked as if words were on the tip of her beak, and yet the table remained silent. Mike chuckled a little, noticing how similar Chica was to his mother, concerned yet respectful.

Mike bit down on the warm slice as he returned to his trance of thought. Though Mike assumed he'd made progress with the strange voice, he had no idea what to do next. The last he heard, his brother's voice, though improved, was still ghostly and distorted. Sadly, in the few hours after the whole incident, it had gone silent and there were no more leads in the pizzeria. He had a feeling the keys lied with the rest of the animatronics, but the rest of them had been acting normal enough.

Following the whole ordeal, Bonnie and Chica kept a cautious eye on Freddy, despite the bear's calm and kind personality returning. Though Mike hated being the reason for the tension between them, he hoped it would fade away quickly. Despite it all, though, Mike felt oddly comfortable sitting around with the three. He felt at home again with the animatronics, just as he had as a child.

 _The two new friends, an animatronic bunny and little boy, explored the large and bright dining room. Children were scattered across the floor and tables, talking, eating, and playing. The intoxicating aroma of sweets and pizza filled the air as they strolled through. The little boy, Michael, gazed around at everything, amazed by the bright colours covering the place._

 _"Are your friends nice, Bonnie?" the little boy asked, nervous._

 _"Hehe, of course they are! They're the nicest friends in the world!"_

 _"Wow, they must be really nice then..."_

 _The two approached a large animatronic bear talking with another child and a smaller, but still huge bright yellow chicken was standing close. Mike was immediately intimidated and hid his face behind the bunny's shoulder, cuddling close to the soft fur._

 _"Heya, guys! Little Mikey here wanted to meet ya two," Bonnie nudged at the boy to come out from his shoulder, but Mike didn't budge._

 _"Awww! He's so adorable!" piped Chica, causing Mike to shy deeper into Bonnie's shoulder._

 _"Now, now, we mustn't scare little Mikey here," the bear replied in a calming voice, "Hello, there, my name is Freddy Fazbear, and this here is Chica. We would love to be your friends." Mike considered showing his face, but decided against it, keeping still._

 _"C'mon!" encouraged the small child talking with the bear, "Freddy's super nice! You don't need to be scared." Mike glanced over at the small brown-haired child on the floor. "My name's Matt!" the boy said cheerfully, extending his hand. Though Mike was still anxious, something about Matt's cheeriness calmed his nerves._

 _"I'm Mike…" he responded, accepting Matt's handshake. Mike looked over at the two other animatronics seeing their warm smiles. Mike hopped off the bunny's back, smiling. The three animatronics and two boys hung around for a good hour, talking and playing games. After a while, though, the three animatronics left the two boys to talk with other kids, much to Mike's dismay._

 _"Aww…" Mike whined. "I wanted to play more!"_

 _"Yeah, me too... hey, I heard there's a fourth animatronic from my friends. And he's a pirate! Let's go look for him!"_

 _"Woah… a real pirate?"_

 _"Yeah! C'mon!" Matt responded, grabbing Mike's hand and running off._

Mike suddenly noticed Foxy's absence at the table.

"Hey, uh, do you guys know where Foxy is?" Mike noticed Chica slightly wince at the question, but Freddy responded instead.

"Hm, I believe he'll still be in Pirate's Cove. Don't mind him, he seems to enjoy his solitude."

Curious, Mike decided he'd go look for the old pirate later. Seeing an opportunity for answers, Mike decided to keep asking.

"Hey, uh, do you guys know why Foxy isn't in the show anymore?" This time, Freddy winced too, and Mike worried that he was poking around too deep. When all he was met with was silence, Mike began to excuse himself.

"No. Don't leave Mike. Do you not know what occurred years ago that caused Foxy's retirement?" the bear sternly asked.

"Uh, no, I mean there's been some other things I've heard, but nothing much about Foxy…"

"It actually wasn't long after you stopped coming…" Bonnie replied softly, "I think it was only a couple years after? Foxy never really comes out of his cove anymore…"

"Wait, do you mean the Bite of '87?" Mike interrupted.

"So you do know of what happened?" asked Freddy, skeptical.

"N-no, I just heard from these tapes in the security office, and they mentioned the bite,"

"Either way, you know of the bite. I'm afraid I cannot explain further without Foxy's permission."

"Well, uh, I'm gonna go see if I can find Foxy,"

"Do be careful, little Mikey. As much as we'd love to see Foxy be part of our family again, there are some deep wounds within Foxy, being alone for so long…"

Considering Freddy's eerie warning, Mike thought perhaps Foxy held the next clue to helping the ghostly voice. Partly from his own curiosity, and partly of concern for his old friend, Mike sought out the fox.

The old purple curtain of the cove was tattered and ripped in spots, obviously not taken care of. The place gave him slight chills, as he remembered frantically checking the place on his cameras for the fox. A small sign stood outside the place stating _'Sorry! Out of Order!'_ The fox apparently wasn't just out of the day show, but out of order all together.

Peeling open the curtain, Mike stepped inside. The area was small and dark, and a broken ship laid off to the side. Sitting on a stool, still, was the large red animatronic fox. Mike immediately noticed, though, how terrible of a state Foxy was in. Holes covered the animatronic's fur, and his jaw seemed almost unhinged. Bits of metal and Foxy's endoskeleton could be seen through the holes, giving him a far more frightening look. Slightly intimidated by the old fox, Mike approached.

"Hey, uh, Foxy, you alright?"

Turning his head, the fox looked over at the man, revealing more holes in his fur.

"Ahoy, Mikey, wasn't expectin' to see ye here,"

"Yeah, you've been in here for a while, so I thought you might be lonely,"

"Aye, well this cap'n don't mind the solitude. Thank ye anyway, Mikey," The fox turned his head back away, sitting still. Mike wasn't sure how to approach the fox. The poor captain was a shell of his former self, his excited and adventurous attitude gone, replaced by soulless eyes.

"Hey, Foxy… remember the first time we met?" Mike asked, unsure what else to say. The fox remained silent for a second, but then responded in his raspy voice,

"Aye, lad, how could I forget?" Mike noticed the fox smile slightly at the thought, "Ye were a shy one, but yer friend brought the adventurer out in ya,"

"Heh, yeah, I remember how I excited I was to meet you… hearing the tales of the great captain Foxy from him. D'you think you could tell me about another of your adventures?" The fox turned his head, looking excited for a second, but as soon as it came, it faded.

"There ain't no use livin' in the past, Mikey, this cap'n ain't an adventurer no more…"

"Why not? I remember, all the kids loved hearing of your adventures, and I'm sure they still would!"

"Mikey…" the fox replied solemnly, "it warms me heart to hear ye say that, but this pirate's done with the kiddos. There ain't no goin' back for me anymore, Mikey," The fox didn't turn away from Mike, but hung his head down.

"Is it… because of the bite?"

Foxy twitched at the question, and Mike stepped back, afraid for a second.

"So ye be knowin' about it… I can see yer scared o' me, and ye should be, I ain't safe..."

"Freddy said he couldn't tell me about it without your permission…"

"Aye, so ye came to hear the rest o' th' tale, did ya?"

"I just wanted to know what happened… so maybe I could help,"

"That's awful kind o' ye, lad, but I be fine. If ye still be wantin' that story though," Mike, still curious about the bite, sat down to listen, eyeing the fox nervously.

"Aye, it was a while it go it was…" the fox began.

 _"T'was a busy day, it was, there were kiddos everywhere an' as many birthday decorations scatterin' th' room. The birthday lad was an adventurous one, always excited an' full o' energy. I didn' think he could do anythin' but smile; he was a fine first matey. I was walkin' round the dinin' room after finishin' th' show with Freddy an' all. Th' birthday boy and a few o' his friends came o'er to me, askin' to hear 'bout me ventures out at sea. 'Course I was excited to tell me tales, and we sat 'round th' cove. Th' lads wanted to be pirates too, after only one tale, and I took me new crew atop me ship._

 _Th' day was goin' great, till I noticed a couple o' odd figures standin' aside. At first, me eyes thought they were just parents of th' kiddos, but somethin' wasn't right. Neither of 'em talked with any of 'em… they just stood aroun' movin' from shadow to shadow. O'course, I was too busy with th' lads to go o'er and see fer myself, but I kept me eye on the two._

 _Wasn' long before Freddy noticed 'em too, givin' em nasty glares. Scared 'em off, I thought, when I didn' see them no more. Eventually, the birthday lad and his friends left the cove, they were a fine crew, they were. I walked aroun' the dinin' room, talkin' with all the kiddos. They were all so excited, and so innocent. T'wasn' till I ran into the birthday lad's group o' friends again did I notice somethin' off. Though his friends were all there, the lad himself was missin'. I asked about 'im to his pals, an' they all replied that he'd gone to the bathroom. Thing was, I'd been right near the place, and hadn't spotted th' lad passin' by at all._

 _I headed away from th' kiddos, and looked aroun' for th' birthday boy. Though I was worried, I hoped he'd just gotten lost or somethin', but I couldn' see the lad anywhere, and I began panickin'. Seein' Freddy, I ran over fer help, till I spotted one o' th' figures I'd been keepin an eye on headin' into th' supply closet. I tried headin' over, but th' kiddos were all roun', and I couldn' just bolt through 'em. I got there, fast as me legs could take me, fearin' I was too late. I heard the unmistakable sound of a child sobbin' and burst through th' door._

 _Th' lad was on the groun' starin' up at one of th' two figures. O' course, they were th' same two I'd seen earlier. I screamed, an' jumped forward, desperate to do somethin', anythin', to save the poor birthday lad from the two. I heard the kiddo yell out, 'M-Mr. Jeremy! Watch out!' Confused, I continued my leap. Th' man I was aimin' fer turned 'round, yelpin' before dodgin' out the way. Me jaw didn't just miss 'im though. I felt me mouth catch somethin' else… no, some **one** else. I stared up at th' two figures, both of 'em starin' down in fear, and one of 'em bolted out th' room. Th' other man, the one I'd missed, just stared at me, scared, before yellin' out, 'H-help!' I looked forward to see th' birthday lad, caught in me mouth…"_

Mike stared forward, horrified. The fox noticed the man's look, but remained silent and ashamed. The two sat in silence for a short while, before Mike spoke up.

"So that's why you're scared to be around the kids,"

"I _**ain't safe**_ , Mikey..."

Foxy's voice chilled Mike, as it had gained the same ghostly tone. He also noticed Foxy's pupils had changed. Identical to Freddy's earlier, Foxy's eyes had become a void of black, with only two small white dots in the center. Slightly panicked, Mike kept pressing on. He couldn't leave the fox now alone, now.

"But, it wasn't even your fault! You were protecting someone!"

"I did an awful job o' protectin' th' lad then. I haven' seen 'im since… an' even management thinks I be unfit for th' kiddos… It be _**my fault**_ , Mikey… I _**failed**_ 'im."

Before Mike could respond, the fox continued,

"Thanks for listenin' to me tale, Mike, but perhaps it's time fer this ol' cap'n _ **to retire.**_ "

"But-"

Foxy's voice grew welled up and he said ominously, _**"Leave me, Mike. I ain't fit to be aroun'. Jus' leave…**_ "

Mike noticed the fox's pupils had returned to normal after that outburst, and yet the Foxy's loneliness was still there, enveloping him. Mike's heart ached for his friend; the bite had hurt the poor captain more than anyone else, and his wounds, instead of being tended to, were left to rot. Mike realized Foxy's wounds weren't something he could just snap out of, like Freddy's were.

"It's time fer ye to leave, Mikey… it's almost six,"

"I won't leave you alone, Foxy,"

"Hm? But yer shift be almost over, ye can't stay with me,"

"No, I mean, I'll come back… and I still want to hear more of your tales. You may not be able to talk with the kids anymore, but you can talk to me,"

"Mikey, lad, I ain't safe to be aroun'! It's best ye just leave me-"

"I didn't come back here to be safe, Foxy. If I did, I would've left after the first night. I came back to be re-united with the family I'd left for so long… and like it or not, you're a part of that family."

The fox wanted to respond, but the man had already turned around and walked out of the cove. Foxy was confused, and a part of him was upset at the man. Yet, his heart felt warmed that his old first mate, Mikey, was so stubborn.

* * *

 **Pirate talk is hard to write, but hey, it was fun to try. Again, I hope this chapter turned out ok, and I'd love to heard what you all think in reviews. It's an awesome feeling to see a new review, and see what you guys think.  
**


	5. Chapter 4 - The Victim

Mike hoped to finally get some rest after all that happened night. The second he arrived home, he headed straight for his bedroom. Though he was glad the animatronics weren't trying to kill him anymore, the whole new array of problems that arose weren't any less tiring. Mike laid on his bed and emptied his mind as he stared up into his ceiling until he drifted off to sleep.

When Mike awoke, he was rather disappointed at his very normal dreams. He had hoped the ghostly presence would come back to give him a clue, or anything to help him. As Mike strolled down the stairs to the kitchen, the events of last night filled his mind. Foxy had the same voided pupils as Freddy, and Mike felt he still hadn't fully gotten through to him.

His parents were absent from the kitchen, much to Mike's relief, as he enjoyed the solitude. Mike whipped up a quick lunch and picked his brain for a possible solution to the problem of Foxy. His previous encounter with Freddy had the bear reaching a climax of emotion before they were slung into that curious dark void of a place. He wondered how he could do the same with Foxy.

The sudden ringing of his phone jolted him out of his thoughts. He looked over to see an unlisted number, and he picked up.

"Uh, hello?"

"Mike? Ah, hello there." Mike instantly recognized the voice as that of the woman who had 'interviewed' him. Slightly worried, Mike responded.

"Ah, yeah it's Mike. Do you need something?"

"Mm, yes. I'd suggest you get over here as soon as you can if you'd like to keep your job."

"Wait, what?" he responded, confused, "did I do something wrong?"

"You'll know when you arrive. I'll be seeing you." The woman hung up before Mike could reply, leaving the man in a mix of confusion, shock, and worry. 'Does management know what happened last night?' he wondered. Realizing sitting around wouldn't do much good, he headed out once more to the pizzeria.

Nothing seemed out of ordinary at first as Mike entered the warm and bright building. A few children were scattered about, and the intoxicating aroma of pizza and sweat filled the air as usual. He wandered further into the dining room, and immediately noticed something very different. A large group of kids were huddled in a circle around a very familiar brown bear. Freddy, to Mike's surprise was interacting with the children normally, smiling and playing around with them. Puzzled, Mike looked around for the other animatronics, but found them situated on the stage, motionless.

"Ah, I see you've noticed our little predicament, Michael,"

Turning around at the voice, Mike noticed the manager of the restaurant staring daggers into him.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Why's Freddy out there? Isn't the free roaming thing turned off or something?"

"Hm, yes that's the exact question I was about to ask you." she responded suspiciously, "Have you been tampering with the animatronics during your shift, Mr. Schmidt? It is strictly prohibited, and I'm afraid I will have to terminate your employment if so…"

"W-what? No! I didn't tamper at all with any of them! I dunno why he's roaming around, honest!"

The woman's glare softened for a moment, considering Mike's words. She looked as if words were on the tip of her tongue, but she remained silent and she returned to her hard stare.

"Hmph. Well, whatever it is that happened, I suspect it to be of your doing, intentional or not. I'm not sure how you did it, but none of these animatronics have roamed around for years, and yet Freddy seems to be fixed. Good job."

With that last statement, she turned around. Mike, stunned and confused stared dumbly at her as she headed off. Had she just complimented him for 'violating' a rule?

"W-wait what? Good job? What do you mean? I thought I was in trouble!"

Turning around, the woman said in her regularly stern voice, "Now now, Mr. Schmidt, I did say questions were not appreciated around here, correct? Anyways, I'd suggest you rest up. I'm sure your shifts will be very eventful."

Mike felt an awful feeling in his gut at her last words. It was obvious whoever this woman was, she was very aware of what was happening at night. Not expecting an answer, he asked, "Wait… do you know what's going on then?"

"None of us do, Mr. Schmidt."

Mike sat down on one of the bright red cushioned booths to think. He wasn't sure whether or not he was just threatened or helped out by the woman. He laid his head down onto the table, immediately jolting it back up as his forehead brushed against the old grease covering the table.

He looked back over to Freddy, who was interacting with the kids normally. He noticed some parents shooting concerned looks towards the few employees standing around, who shot similar looks towards each other. The bear noticed the man staring and waved, smiling. There was nothing suspicious or ghostly about the bear anymore, replaced with the cheerful and lovable friend he knew as a child.

It was obvious whatever Mike had done with Freddy was the cause of this, but he had no idea how some emotional counseling managed to rewrite a robot's programming. Seeing the bear's old self reminded Mike of the time when all four animatronics the same. Mike headed out, filled with a new determination to help the rest of the crew.

The following few nights were surprisingly uneventful, despite the manager's warning. To the night guard's surprise, the four animatronics didn't interact much with each other during the night. They all mostly kept to themselves, Chica in the kitchen, Bonnie roaming around silently, Freddy in the dining room, and Foxy in his cove. Mike, for the most part stayed in his security room alone with the occasional visit from one of the animatronics. The night guard vigorously researched the controversy surrounding the restaurant during the long nights, specifically about the bite, hoping he could find something to help Foxy. As he expected, though, there wasn't much to be found. Of the little information he did find, though, he was annoyed at lack of hard facts. His conversation with Foxy about the bite was more legitimate than anything he found. Freddy's had either done a really damn good job covering things up, or every journalist covering the topic was an idiot.

Eventually, though, Mike struck gold. He'd found an article that was full of speculation yet again, but amongst it all was a name. The victim, Fritz Smith, had survived the bite, even listing the hospital he He inputted the name and scrolled through the results on social media. He narrowed down his searches to only those who lived in the same city and were about his age. Looking through the few people he got, nothing was obviously pointing toward the victim. Despite his efforts, he couldn't pin down which Fritz Smith it could've been.

Sighing and shutting his laptop, Mike gazed towards the time. It was about three, so Mike thought to pay Foxy a visit; he might have a description or something. The past few days, Mike had kept true to his word and visited Foxy at least once every night. Though the fox remained silent at first, he eventually opened up a bit and Mike could see glimpses of the fox's old self.

"Hey, Foxy," Mike said cheerfully as he peeled open the curtains to the cove.

"Ahoy, Mikey, back for another tale?"

"Mm, I actually had something to ask you,"

"Go ahead, lad,"

"You know the kid you were talking about earlier… the one from the bite?" Foxy stiffened at the question, but remained silent. "Was his name… Fritz?"

"Aye, I couldn't remember when I was tellin' ye 'bout it, but it was. How'd ye know?"

"Uh, I was just curious and looked it up, so, uh, do you remember what he looked like by chance?"

"Mikey, why ye be askin' 'bout 'im? I don't like rememberin' 'it, I killed 'im… "

"I-I wannna go see if I can find him… I looked it up, and he's alive, Foxy,"

"W-what, the lad's alive? Mike…" The fox paused before responding in a chilling voice, _**"Don't bring 'im back, Mike. I ain't safe…"**_

Nervous, Mike responded, "B-but, Foxy, maybe it'll help, and you're not-"

 _ **"Mike, listen to me. Do NOT bring 'im back. Please…"**_

"Ok… I won't, but I'm still going to talk to him."

"The lad… he had red hair, bright blue eyes, and lots o' freckles."

Mike noticed the ghostliness in Foxy's voice gone, and sighed in relief. "Alright, thanks."

Scrolling through the list of names once again on his laptop, Mike found an impossibly good match. Though Fritz's accounts seemed to be deserted, looking at his family and friend's showed the man in many different photos. The man was awfully thin with pale skin, but overall looked healthy. He scrolled through the pages trying to find an opportunity to meet up with the man; he couldn't just stalk him and show up at his doorstep. To Mike's dismay, the closest he could get was the university Fritz was attending. He couldn't figure out his classes or anything from his searching, but Mike memorized the faces of a few of his friends to make finding him easier. Mike was glad to finally have a lead after days of being lost. He wasn't sure how Fritz would react to him bringing up Foxy, but Mike was determined to help his friend and uncover the mysteries behind the bite.

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 **Hey, new chapter. Updates will probably be faster than this, but still likely only weekly at best. Thanks for reading, and again I'd love to hear what you have to say in reviews!**


	6. Chapter 5 - Fritz

**Hey guys, I wasn't too satisfied with my last chapter, so I worked really hard to make this chapter, and I quite like how it turned out.**

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Mike hated feeling helpless. The days following, Mike had headed to the university, but his efforts were to no avail. Though he expected finding Fritz would be difficult amongst all the people, Mike soon realized that with the little information he had about him, it'd be virtually impossible. After days of searching, Mike still hadn't found any trace of Fritz and each evening he returned home, defeated.

It was now that Mike idly sat at his computer desk, thoughtlessly scrolling through search results. No matter what Mike tried, Fritz's appearance just wasn't enough to go off of. The man, in a fit of frustration, slammed down his laptop. Rubbing his temples, Mike tried to relax as he planted his face into the desk.

"Mikey, are you alright in there?"

Mike turned towards his door, hearing his mother's voice. It was difficult keeping everything he'd been going through away from his parents, but he didn't have a choice: both form his contract and because he doubted anyone would believe him. Though he wasn't sure management would even find out, Mike didn't feel like taking chances.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine… just tired," he mumbled out unconvincingly.

"Mikey, we need to talk, please."

Mike knew that tone, and realized his mother would only get more persistent. Reluctantly, the man headed over and unlocked the door. The concerned look painted on his mother's face stung Mike with guilt. He hated having to hide things from anyone, let alone his parents, and he could see the toll it was having on them.

"Mike… please, be honest with me. Something's not been right with you ever since you took that job, and I don't think it's the lack of sleep getting to you."

Mike stood silently, trying to find a response, before his mother continued.

"Look, Mike, I know you wouldn't be hiding something from me without a good reason, but I can help. You don't need to tell me everything, Mikey, but please, don't keep it all to yourself. Please, not only for my sake, but for yours too."

Mike wasn't sure why, but his eyes began watering up and it was then that he almost gave. His mother wanted nothing but the best for him, and he wanted so badly at that moment to unload everything he'd been burdened by in the past few days. He tucked his head into his mother's stomach and wept softly as his thoughts scattered. He hadn't spent much time thinking about how much everything was getting to him, and he felt all the deep rooted emotions coming out.

"I just… I just…" Mike choked on his words as his breaths grew faster. "It's my fault, mom… I want to help him, but I can't… I'm trying… I'm really trying." Flashbacks ran through Mike's head as a wave of guilt swept over him.

 _As the show came to a conclusion, the small birthday boy, Mark, clung close to his brother. Applause and cheers filled the room, as Mark gazed around the room. Though the shy boy usually disliked attention from anyone but his older brother, something about the place made him feel special._

 _"I'm afraid that's the end of our show, everyone, but we'll still be around and we'd love to meet you all!" Freddy started, "I hope you all enjoyed, and Mark, I hope your birthday has been great so far!"_

 _As the two brothers climbed down the stairs off the stage, Mike noticed some of his friends gathered._

 _"Hey, uh, I'm gonna go hang out with my friends, how about you go find yours, Mark?"_

 _"B-but, mom told me to stay with you, it's scary… "_

 _"It's ok, I'll keep a close eye on you! You don't wanna just hang around with me all day do ya?"_

 _"But-" Before Mark could continue, Mike's friends had come over, calling out to him._

 _"It's ok, I gotta go now. Go find your friends, 'kay? I promise I'll be watching, you don't need to be scared… "_

Mike's mother sat her son down on the bed as he wept. The man looked like he had gone through hell and back, and she combed through his hair as he laid down.

"I'm sorry, Mark… I-I'm so sorry…"

As Mike's cries slowly died down, all his pent up emotions faded into a lingering pain. He felt a bit embarrassed from his breakdown, but didn't care enough to stop.

"You're not to blame, Mike… we all miss him, but you know we can't dwell on it."

"N-no, you don't know… but I can help him, mom. I can help him… I'm trying…"

"Mike, you can't be living in the past. He's gone, you understand that, don't you?"

Realizing he was right that his mother wouldn't believe him, he decided not to press any further.

"Y-yeah, you're right… thanks. I'm feeling a lot better,"  
"Alright, Mike. But if you need me, please, don't hesitate to come talk." Mike's mother smiled softly, and planted a kiss on Mike's forehead. "I love you, dear,"

"Yeah, I know,"

As his mom left, Mike laid back down on his bed and shut his eyes. He hadn't realized how many emotions he'd been building up, and was relieved to have let them out. Just as Mike thought he would find some peace, he heard the doorbell ring abruptly. He heard his mother answering, but Mike quickly recognized the voice she was speaking to. Rushing downstairs, Mike was unhappy to find his manager at the door.

"Ah, Mikey, this woman was just looking for you," his mother said cheerfully.  
"Mm, yes, I have a very private matter to deal with your son. Mrs. Schmidt, would you mind?"

"Oh, dear, Mikey here hasn't been feeling very well. Perhaps you could come back later," his mother began.

Mike, not wanting to involve his mother, quickly responded back, "Uh, actually, it's fine, I can talk. I'm not feeling too bad anymore…"

Though his mother looked at him, concerned, she conceded, allowing the two some privacy.

"Hm, yes, Mike. I'm sure you have an idea as to why I've come today,"

"I don't know," he replied nervously, "but I'm guessing I messed up again?"

"I understand that you've been conducting some _research_ … on matters that do not concern you."

Mike gulped as the woman continued. "I left last time on a high note because I thought we'd reached an understanding. However, I see a more literal translation is required." The woman's tone shifted eerily as she continued. "Michael Schmidt. Your job is to appease those little friends of yours. We are very aware of what is occurring, and, trust me, you _do not_. That last thing we need is some idiot running in, thinking he knows more than he does, and getting us all killed. Your job, and your only job, is to make those things happy. Do I make myself clear?"

Mike nodded slightly as he stared, unsure how to respond.

"B-but… my poking around, I'm only doing it to 'appease' them," Mike stuttered out.

"Explain."

"F-Foxy, the broken down one in Pirate's Cove… something's happening to him that's similar to Freddy. A-and I think the bite is the key to… fixing him."

"Come, now, why do you think that?"

"I-I'm not entirely sure, maybe it's just a hunch, but whatever is keeping him from being who he used to be… everything I've tried points to the bite."

The woman stared at Mike, unamused, but eventually sighed, and spoke. "A hunch is hardly worth an excuse for this behaviour, Mr. Schmidt. But, as you've proven yourself successful before, I'll hope both for your sake and mine that this hunch of yours is correct. Should I find out that you have failed or are simply lying, I will not be as sweet as I am here."

Mike didn't exactly find this encounter "sweet" but decided it was best to keep the comment to himself.

"I understand you are trying to find Fritz Smith, so perhaps this may help," The woman took out her phone and began typing in something. Mike's phone buzzed soon after and he picked it out of his pocket to check. "I do hope you find success, Mr. Schmidt. I'll be seeing you."

Turning his attention back to his phone, Mike saw that he had been sent a document. Upon tapping it, he found it to be Fritz's resume for a part-time job at Freddy's a couple years ago. Mike was thoroughly surprised that Fritz would be willing to come anywhere close to the pizzeria, but the man had applied to be a mechanic at the place. Curious and excited, he scrolled through all the information; he now had an address, e-mail, phone number, and even a guess at what classes Fritz could be taking based on his interests. The application was denied, but Mike guessed that it was due to more… controversial reasons. Mike wasted no time in heading out.

Assuming that showing up at Fritz's doorstep still wasn't a great idea, Mike tried the phone number first. Mike crossed his fingers as he waited for Fritz to pick up.

"Uh, hello, who's this?"

"Hi, is this Fritz Smith?"

"Yeah…" he responded suspiciously, "who are you?"

"I'm Mike, a night guard and Freddy's, you don't know me, but I need your help."

"Okay…"

"Do you remember… Foxy?" Fritz went silent, and Mike was worried he'd hang up. After a few seconds of silence, Mike continued.

"Right now, I'm trying to help him, as crazy as that sounds… and I need your help."

"Look, I really don't know where you're going with this, and I don't want to know." Fritz interrupted, "Sorry, but I've gotta get to class. Please, don't call me again." Fritz hung up quickly after that, to Mike's dismay. Still determined, Mike drove on to the university.

Arriving at the university, Mike examined the map and class schedules. He headed to the Faculty of Science and searched for any classes related to robotics. Strolling into a few lecture halls, Mike couldn't spot Fritz anywhere. Sitting down to take a short break, Mike rubbed his head. His excitement from his lead had died down, and his frustration was setting back in.

"Excuse me," a voice asked from above Mike. Looking up, he saw who he assumed to be a professor staring down at him. "I noticed you entering and leaving multiple lecture halls. Are you lost?" Nervous, Mike dug his brain for an answer.

"U-uh, yeah, I'm just looking for… a friend. Fritz Smith." Mike kicked himself for giving away the truth in panic.

"Oh? You're a friend of Mr. Smith, are you?"

"H-huh, yeah…" he lied.

"Ah, well his lecture just ended, I believe he should be in hall 21B."

"W-wait what, he's a professor?" Mike kicked himself again for his stupid question and quickly continued, "I- I mean…"

"Haha, yes. Everybody was surprised to see a professor younger than most of the students he was lecturing. Did Fritz not tell you?"

"Oh, uh, no. I'm an… old friend, and he just told me to meet up here." Mike felt his lie was getting less and less convincing by the second, but the professor seemed convinced.

"Ah, well, I'd best not keep delaying you. Farewell."

Grateful for the help, Mike began to struggle through the crowd of students to reach the hall; he was still awfully surprised by his new revelation. Fritz was a professor? Mike was still in university, and he was older than the guy! Also, why would he be applying for a job at Freddy's then? Nothing made much sense, but Mike knew he'd only get his answers one way.

Arriving at the classroom, Mike noticed the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, he saw a lone man standing near a podium. The man looked much like the pictures Mike had found, only a bit taller. The lecture hall was particularly small, and Mike headed in.

"Can I help you?" Fritz asked, noticing Mike walking in.

"Uh, hey, it's Mike… "

"Mike? Do I know you? I'm terrible with names, so if you need some assistance with a concept I'd be happy to help in a bit."

"No, uh, I'm not a student." Fritz looked puzzled at first, but then soon realized who Mike was, and his face soured.

"Look, Fritz, if you're scared of Foxy, and the restaurant, I get it. But please, give me a chance. I need your help badly."

"I don't know how you knew where I was, or how you got my phone number or anything, but Mike, even if I wanted to help, I can't. So please, leave."

"The management at Freddy's helped me find you,"

"Management? I'm sorry, but that doesn't make any sense. Someone who said they were from the management at Freddy's is the reason I can't go back…"

"W-wait what? But… they told me to go find you if it'd help me… appease the animatronics. The only thing they disliked was me looking into the bite…"

"Either way, it doesn't matter. I won't risk it, I can't return there. Sorry, Mike, I wish you luck."

"You sound like that's the only reason you won't come back. Aren't you scared of the place, or of the animatronics because of what… happened?"

Fritz puckered his lips for second in thought. "No, you wouldn't understand. Anything you find on the bite wouldn't tell you what actually happened."

"But I do understand… I thought maybe you'd still be scared, but, Foxy tried saving you, right? And you knew that."

"W-what?" Fritz replied, stunned, "How did you know that?"

"I told you, I'm a night guard at Freddy's. And I'm working to help each of them back to a normal state. I'm sure you know as well that these animatronics aren't just robots. They're as alive as you and me, and they need help. So, please, Fritz, it seems like you want to help, and you can."

"Look, Mike, I got some strings pulled for me by this man who said he was from management. How else do you think I became a professor at such a young age? I don't know how he did it, but he did, and he told me to keep my nose out of and away from Freddy's. I wanted just as badly as you do now to uncover the secrets behind this place, but they didn't want me to. I find it hard to believe that they would just suddenly have a change of heart."

"That's the thing, though, they don't like me digging around either. But they do want me to help these animatronics. Right now, Foxy needs you. He's in such a terrible state, and I think it's because he's scared of himself for what he did to you. Please, Fritz, I need your help, Foxy needs your help."

Sighing, Fritz responded. "You know what? Fine. If you're convinced management won't kick my ass for coming back, I'll talk to the fox."

"Well, Foxy made me promise not to bring you back…"

"Excuse me? Like hell I'm not going back. After all that convincing and you're now telling me I can't even go back to see them?"

"Alright then, I'll see you tonight? My shift starts at midnight."

"Sounds fine. I'll see you later, then, Mike."

Mike felt as nervous for his night shift as he was after the first night. He hoped Fritz would help Foxy, but it was still nothing but a hunch. Crossing his fingers, Mike headed home to rest up before a soon to be eventful night.

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 **Alright, there's that, I hope you enjoyed, and again, I love reading any reviews and criticisms you guys have!**


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